My First Canadian Bacon Cure

[Worble7]

Hello Everyone & SmokinEdge,

Need a little reassurance Please So I'm going to try Canadian bacon hope I do better this time lol. So I looked at Disco's post about it just have a few question's and he's not been on here for over a year hope he's OK.

So my pork loin is 5.87 Lbs. so doing Disco's math if I did it correct. here's his and then mine.

2 1/2 teaspoons/0.35 oz brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon/0.3 oz Kosher salt

1/5 teaspoon/0.04 oz Prague powder #1

So, multiply the amounts above by the weight of the meat (for example 2 kg of pork would need 60 ml (51.56 grams) of brown sugar – 2 times 30 ml (25.8 grams))



Not sure why he has Kg/Ml/G



Here's My math:

5.87 Lbs x 0.35 oz brown sugar = 2.05 oz or 58.11 grams of Brown Sugar

5.87 Lbs x 0.3 oz Kosher salt = 1.76 oz or 49.89 grams of Kosher salt

5.87 Lbs x 0.04 oz Prague powder #1 = 0.23 oz or 6.52 grams of Prague powder #1



The Pork loin is 3 3/4 thick so Disco's Math is:

Put the meat in the fridge. Measure the thickest part of the pieces. You will need to leave the meat in the fridge for 4 days per inch (2.5 cm) of the meat plus 2 days. So, a 2-inch (5 cm) thickness will need 10 days (4 times 2 plus 2). Turn the meat and massage every day or two.



So Mine comes out to 16 days could this be correct?



Also is there a way to put Sage or Maple in to the mix or other spices? Thanks again. Jeff

 

[mr_whipple]

That sounds like a lot of sugar for bacon of any kind. at 5.87 lbs converted to grams... 2662 grams, that's 2.17% sugar, 1.87% salt and .24% cure #1. Looks safe to me but again that's almost double the sugar I normally use. As to flavor I've had mixed results with maple but as far as sage goes you could start adding it in with the cure at a small percentage say .5 % and see how you like it and adjust from there to your taste. Also, 16 days is fine. Most folks let it ride for 14 but 16 wouldn't hurt a bit.

I just put a loin in the cure yesterday at 1.5% salt, .25% cure #1, and 1% brown sugar.

Hope that helps

 

[SmokinEdge]

I agree with Mr-W above.

Here is how I do it and what I like:
5.87 pounds x 454 (grams in a pound) = 2664.9g meat weight.
Salt) 1.5% so 2665 x .015 = 39.9g (round up to 40g)
Sugar) .75% so 2665 x .0075 = 19.9g (round up to 20)
Cure #1) .25% so 2665 x .0025 = 6.6g

You can adjust the percentage on everything but the cure #1 that always stays at .25%. Converting to grams is by far the most accurate method.

You can add any aromatic or spice you like, but do that after you have applied all of the mix as evenly as possible to the meat.

 

[Worble7]

That sounds like a lot of sugar for bacon of any kind. at 5.87 lbs converted to grams... 2662 grams, that's 2.17% sugar, 1.87% salt and .24% cure #1. Looks safe to me but again that's almost double the sugar I normally use. As to flavor I've had mixed results with maple but as far as sage goes you could start adding it in with the cure at a small percentage say .5 % and see how you like it and adjust from there to your taste. Also, 16 days is fine. Most folks let it ride for 14 but 16 wouldn't hurt a bit.

I just put a loin in the cure yesterday at 1.5% salt, .25% cure #1, and 1% brown sugar.

Hope that helps

Hello mr_whipple,
Thanks for the info can you tell me how your doing the math and fugering out the percentages? Thanks Jeff

 

[Worble7]

I agree with Mr-W above.

Here is how I do it and what I like:
5.87 pounds x 454 (grams in a pound) = 2664.9g meat weight.
Salt) 1.5% so 2665 x .015 = 39.9g (round up to 40g)
Sugar) .75% so 2665 x .0075 = 19.9g (round up to 20)
Cure #1) .25% so 2665 x .0025 = 6.6g

You can adjust the percentage on everything but the cure #1 that always stays at .25%. Converting to grams is by far the most accurate method.

You can add any aromatic or spice you like, but do that after you have applied all of the mix as evenly as possible to the meat.

SmokinEdge,
Well that helps me figure out the percentages. I was going to message you but this might help others down the road. Thanks Jeff

 

[SmokinEdge]

SmokinEdge,
Well that helps me figure out the percentages. I was going to message you but this might help others down the road. Thanks Jeff

Yes, absolutely. Ask away on the forum so others can follow along now or years from now.
Or if you have a question you just aren’t sure about I’m just Pm away, for some things or questions this can be good as to not post something confusing on the board. Happy to help any way I can.

 

[mr_whipple]

Hello mr_whipple,
Thanks for the info can you tell me how your doing the math and fugering out the percentages? Thanks Jeff

Easy. You can either just use the calculator on your computer, or use an online percentage calculator. This is the one I have bookmarked Percentage Calculator
Doing it manually with a calculator... to figure 1.5% you multiply the total weight by .015.. 2662 x .015 = 39.93 and so on.... I always double check my numbers than I write them on a small yellow legal pad and cross them off with a pen once I've weighed and put them in the bowl I'm mixing my cure in.

Edit: I also made a catch all type of spreadsheet in excel that I built all the formulas into. Even using that I still double check my math. That's a crappy pic but you get the idea.

 

[Worble7]

Easy. You can either just use the calculator on your computer, or use an online percentage calculator. This is the one I have bookmarked Percentage Calculator
Doing it manually with a calculator... to figure 1.5% you multiply the total weight by .015.. 2662 x .015 = 39.93 and so on.... I always double check my numbers than I write them on a small yellow legal pad and cross them off with a pen once I've weighed and put them in the bowl I'm mixing my cure in.

Edit: I also made a catch all type of spreadsheet in excel that I built all the formulas into. Even using that I still double check my math. That's a crappy pic but you get the idea.



View attachment 676542

Thanks mr_whipple for the help. Jeff

 

[Worble7]

Hey guys also the pork loin is 12" long and 3 3/4" high. Can I cut this in half? Would it take the same amount of cure? Should I re-weigh the cut meat and put them in different bags? Thanks Jeff

 

[SmokinEdge]

Hey guys also the pork loin is 12" long and 3 3/4" high. Can I cut this in half? Would it take the same amount of cure? Should I re-weigh the cut meat and put them in different bags? Thanks Jeff

Keep it all together, figure your cure mix and apply that, once that is completed you can cut it in half and bag together, I wouldn’t separate them but I guess you could.

 

[Worble7]

Keep it all together, figure your cure mix and apply that, once that is completed you can cut it in half and bag together, I wouldn’t separate them but I guess you could.

SmokinEdge,
I will have some off the wall questions from time to time my brain in overdrive lol. Thanks for the answer :)

 

[SmokinEdge]

SmokinEdge,
I will have some off the wall questions from time to time my brain in overdrive lol. Thanks for the answer :)

Just so you know, add an @ at the beginning of a members name and a list will come up for you to select the exact member. This will notify them of the mention or tag. It will look like this in text. Worble7

 

[Worble7]

Just so you know, add an @ at the beginning of a members name and a list will come up for you to select the exact member. This will notify them of the mention or tag. It will look like this in text. Worble7

SmokinEdge Thanks for the tip :).......Sucks I just seen Pop's passed also Pops: March 22, 1951 - September 10, 2020. sucks I hope they have a smoker up there for all of us. Thanks again you are so helpful. Jeff

 

[Fueling Around]

For curing guidelines I use the Greg Blonder calculators.

salt brining calculator

nitrite curing calculator

AS others have pointed out converting to metric is so much easier.
Disco is from Canada so metric is where you find his basis

 

[Worble7]

So I bought 12"x16" food bags measured out the cure and put it on the meat. On disco page I read to save all the cure that falls off the meat this is imposable as the meat after washing and patting dry still has moisture in it and the cure turns to a paste. I got a little but not even close to all or it. If I had to guess I would say about 92% to 95% made it on the meat and in the bag. did not take pics during as my hands where a mess. here my pic with it in a bag.

 

[SmokinEdge]

So I bought 12"x16" food bags measured out the cure and put it on the meat. On disco page I read to save all the cure that falls off the meat this is imposable as the meat after washing and patting dry still has moisture in it and the cure turns to a paste. I got a little but not even close to all or it. If I had to guess I would say about 92% to 95% made it on the meat and in the bag. did not take pics during as my hands where a mess. here my pic with it in a bag.

You are now ready for the wait. Nice work.

 

[Fueling Around]

So I bought 12"x16" food bags measured out the cure and put it on the meat. On disco page I read to save all the cure that falls off the meat this is imposable as the meat after washing and patting dry still has moisture in it and the cure turns to a paste. I got a little but not even close to all or it. If I had to guess I would say about 92% to 95% made it on the meat and in the bag. did not take pics during as my hands where a mess. here my pic with it in a bag.

That's a good amount back on the meat. I use a small pan and roll and roll the meat into the powder and paste.
Use nitryl or latex gloves when working with cure. Hands stay cleaner and more of the cure gets in meat.
Quick wash and you can take photos or get the assistant to take photos.

 

[mr_whipple]

What I do to avoid losing cure mix is simple. I make it in a bowl and set aside while I put whatever I'm curing into the bag it will be sealed in. Then I take a spoon and simply sprinkle it over one side of the meat from end to end with the spoon. Once I have put about half the cure on I flip the bag and meat over and repeat until I'm out of cure. Whatever might be left in the bowl gets scraped into the bag with a silicon / rubber spatula. If I'm going to the trouble to measure things down to 0.1 grams or less I'm gonna make sure it gets where it's supposed to be!

 

[Worble7]

Thanks SmokinEdge

 

[Worble7]

What I do to avoid losing cure mix is simple. I make it in a bowl and set aside while I put whatever I'm curing into the bag it will be sealed in. Then I take a spoon and simply sprinkle it over one side of the meat from end to end with the spoon. Once I have put about half the cure on I flip the bag and meat over and repeat until I'm out of cure. Whatever might be left in the bowl gets scraped into the bag with a silicon / rubber spatula. If I'm going to the trouble to measure things down to 0.1 grams or less I'm gonna make sure it gets where it's supposed to be!

mr_whipple I hope I have enough on there I always worry about botulism you kmow what I mean.